


Thanks, Padparadscha

by citrusella



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Future Tense, Gen, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, Padparadscha gets a job as a news analyst, Precognition, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-01-06 15:16:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18390986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citrusella/pseuds/citrusella
Summary: Stories about the best gem.





	1. Forsooth

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write a compilation of Padparadscha oneshots! Let's hope this actually becomes a compilation and not just a one or two chapter thing that dies a quiet death.

You will foresee your taking a visit to Steven's house.

You will foresee the warp activating, heralding the return of G—

What an unpleasant surprise! You will see not Garnet but Ruby and Sapphire returning!

You will see Steven leaping from the couch, leaving the puzzle he and you have been working on unfinished, to comfort them. You will find yourself rising to do the same.

Sapphire will be crying. Ruby will be livid. Neither will clearly explain what happened, so you and everyone else will be confused.

Eventually, it will come to light: Sapphire can no longer see the future. She won't be able to tell anyone why, because she _won't know_ why.

You will freeze in place—not literally, like Sapphire might, but figuratively—as everyone around you moves and acts and speaks so quickly that your visions cannot keep up. You'll reach for the couch, but you'll have forgotten where it is and your visions will be too busy to help you see yourself reaching it.

You will keep seeing things you want to tell them, visions that might share new information with them, but you will keep your mouth shut, out of interest of not upsetting Sapphire.

And then—

—everything will be quiet.

Sapphire will say she needs space. Steven, Pearl, Amethyst, Rutile, Lapis… even, reluctantly, Ruby… they'll quietly oblige, leaving Sapphire alone in Steven's room.

You'll consider leaving, but, to your surprise, you foresee Sapphire seated, eyeing you through her bangs as she gives the seat next to her a pat.

_There's_ the couch.

You'll climb up onto the cushion. You will say nothing. For a moment, it will appear Sapphire is following suit, but you'll see her mouth opening.

"…You're quiet, Padparadscha," she'll say with a sniff. You'll absently wonder how either of you can sniff when you don't have noses but brush it off because it's not important right now.

She'll wait a length of time for you to respond, like everyone waits for you. It'll be a reminder of what has happened, because she (or, well, Garnet) used to be the only one who didn't always wait, sometimes foreseeing your answer before you could even foresee her statement.

You'll take a bit to form a sentence that seems a satisfactory answer to her unspoken question. "I saw how upset you were. I didn't want to worry you more by sharing a vision at the wrong time."

"Your visions wouldn't upset me." She'll clasp her hands in her lap as she says this. "And hey, at least one of us can still see the future."

She'll wait, again, but you won't respond as fast. In fact, you'll have taken so long that your beginning to speak coincides with a vision of Sapphire starting to think you won't respond at all and looking to talk again, but you'll push through, because you will _need_ to say this. Do need to say it. Have needed to say it.

"I know I'm defective, Sapphire. Well, Off Color. Defective's the kind of word the prosecutor Zircon spat at me during the hearing that got me sentenced to shattering." You'll let the statement splinter onto the room like your shards would have splintered across the ground any of the numerous times you've narrowly escaped shattering. "But I guess it doesn't matter what words you use to describe it—I'm Off Color. I don't see the future. I know I don't. It just… _feels_ like the future. So much that it's easier to just _let it_ be the future. To me. But I still know it's not."

Sapphire won't seem to say anything for a long while, and you'll wonder for a second if perhaps you missed a vision of her response. But a new vision will tell you that you haven't.

"…Oh. I never knew that about you."

A pause.

"I don't make it a point to share it." It's different now, but once upon a time, others finding out—that you were defective _or_ that you knew about it—used to mean a strong likelihood of getting shattered. Best to pretend that everything is fine and you're functioning within requirements, lest you arouse suspicion.

Sapphire will grow quiet. You'll foresee—

"You won't—you _don't_ —know what to say."

"You're right. I don't." Sapphire will sigh. "You're good at that. Seeing what's really happening, I mean." You'll catch a smile working its way onto her lips.

"…Thanks. Oh, and I see something else," you'll grin.

"Oh?"

"You will be okay. And you'll help me finish this puzzle!" You'll find yourself trying and failing to stifle a giggle behind your hand.

"I haven't touched the puzzle, so I don't think that's your future vision." Her smile will grow, and it'll almost, but not quite, seem like she wants to giggle in turn. "But I think you're right. On both counts." You'll see her pick up a puzzle piece. "Thanks, Padparadscha."


	2. Business Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or should we say... _Bismuth_ Lunch? o.o
> 
> But it's not lunchtime! :O

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could have been longer but shorter makes it snappier. XD

It turns out Padparadscha is a great news analyst. She outlines events with such detail and insight that she is invited to practically every major outlet—radio, paper, _and_ TV—to share her opinion.

It's only after the cameras turn off on UBC Nightly News that Hester Lolt approaches her.

"You know, it'd be really great to interview you sometime, like as a person, not on as an analyst."

A moment passes.

"Oh, goodness! I see myself being very flattered by a request from you."

"And your pauses are so fun—makes it seem like we have you over a satellite uplink even when you're right in the same room!"

Another moment comes and goes before a tiny yet embarrassed smile finds its way onto her face.

"I'm just so curious as to your life story, what you do in the day-to-day, why you might have chosen to apply your skills to _new_ analysis instead of, say, ancient history… that kind of thing!"

A pause.

"Well, I mean, it's not like I can see the past, Hester." She laughs a practiced yet genuine chortle.

"Hey, well, it's not like you can see the future, either!" The look on Hester's face is jovial, though they don't quite know—shouldn't be _expected_ to know—what they have implied.

One moment. Two. Three.

A redness rises to Padparadscha's cheeks. "I… um… I've just realized I am late for… 'lunch'!"

Padparadscha doesn't quite understand what "lunch" is, just that it's something Steven seems to need at least once per day.

"But it's 7 pm!"

" _Extremely late!_ " She grabs her briefcase and books it toward the door.


End file.
